Clutch



w. c. PITTER Jan. 31, 1933.

CLUTCH Filed Dec 20, 1930 ZSheetS-Sheet l W. C. PITTER CLUTCH Jan. 31, 1933.

Filed Dec. 20, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 31, 1 933 .g u vfsTATE-vs P -E NT; OF

WALTER CHARLES 9mm, 01* 'nrr moe "snennnnyAssienonao THE BITTER TBQIIIST, 51

or" cnroaeo; ILLINOIS, A common LAW Tnns'r' Grower:

I Application fi1ed Deeembe r 20, 1930.;5j ria1 No. 503,673.

This invention relates toclutchesQ f It has for its objects the provision ofa clutch device which is peculiarly positive and quick in'ace tion, one whichis strong and duralole, of few parts"(disre'garding the numerous balls and simple in construction andjassembly.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device of either form shown; t v if Q 1 ig. 2 is a mediallongitudinal section of the preferred formfon an enlarged" scale, with the inner member in-elevation'; j M v Fig. 3 is across section/on theline 3+3 ofFig.2;"

Fig. 4' is'a medial longitudinal section of a modified form; and l I Fig. 5 is a cross section on theline 5-5 of Fig.4.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3the outer member A comprises a shell-like body 5 having atone end a hub 6 to which shaft 7 is secured and having at its other end a closure wall 8 held by screws 9 tothebody 5. The inner surface 10 has the shapeof a truncated cone 7 on theaxis of the device.

' Inner member B comprises a body 12 having the truncated cone shape of'surface' 10- and interfits with that surface, but in'spaced relation. -The body 12 has a'stem, shaft or hub 13to'which'shaft 14 is secured.

Between plate 8 and body 12there1is an expansion spring 15 pressing againsta flat ring 16 providingwith theend of body 12 a race for balls 17 forming a ball bearing.

Between the bodies, 5 and 12 are numerous balls 20 in spiral arrangement. Rollers could be used instead iofballs. They may be in one series or in more than one. This form of the device contemplates that one of the members A or B will have a seat of seats for these balls, the seats'being arranged spirally. I have shown memberB- having the spiral seats, which'are in the form of a spiral oove 21 around the conical peripheryof the body 12, and shown as extending from one end of body 12 to theother end thereof.

The groove or'grooves as 21 h'ave: a depth propriately about half the diameter of the steel balls 20which'occupythe groove orspiral I 7 slot 21 in close arrangement. The grooves terminate within the peripheryofthe head 12' so theballs can not'escape. "They canbe applied, as one way, by coatingthe g'roov" seatwith greaseandjc'ausing the balls td a heretherein and-then insertingmember B intomember A.v M v Y a e 7 Since springl5 causes theballs 20 to be maintained in close'association with conical surface 10, and since the series of balls has screw thread properties, the action is such thatwhen either member. A or B is rotatedin what'would be the unthreading direction the two members are not clutched together but the driving one moves 'freelywith respect to the other. On the other hand, should the driving member (which maybe 'either mem ber A or' B) be rotated in adirection as if ,to' thread it intoor upon the other member, 'a' gripping action takes place and the two'mem-f hers-are locked together. Should the. driving' power be interrupted thedrivenf member may, continue to move 'in the' dire'ctionfinwhich it was 'beingdriv'en'. Thiswclutchl therefore appropriate to situations calling for free-wheelingW; p, y t

This clutch presents a large number of elea. ment-s fwidely distributed and which Slmlll taneously exercise a gripping action to move the driven member. The action issubsta'n-Tw tially instantaneous with the slightest relative .7

act reproduction of the amount'of that nave f ment is desired in the output. It impor I am also, where an 'imr'n ediate, strong and powerful. grip is needed,and also wheran instantaneous release and afree-running condition of the driven member. are desired.

The ring-like extension 24 integral with plate 8 maintains the inner and outer members against material longitudinal displacement-relative to each other, while spring maintains the balls in such close. association with the wall defining the conical recess in member A that the gripping action takes place on the slightest movement in the screwthreading direction. 7

Referrmgto Figs. 4 and 5 the same reference characterswill be given to parts corresponding to certain ones in the former figures;

I -Fig? 4 he. nner QQ iQB HY- hQP Q member 12 has a continuously smoothvoute'r surface 30, thereby differing from the one in Fi which has a spiral groove for the balls.

fQIfmed to hold balls 32 inspiral arrange I, V p ment,with the balls Severally in contact with the; surfaces 10f'and 3Q. The cage 31 should "be carried by either the inner'or the outer memberi; I have shown it carried by the outer 'n'iember' by means of extensions 33' integral with the, cage and which enter recesses 34' ,respectiv'ely'in member 5.' I

,The balls being, constrained for limited I movement 'only, they rotate" in their entirety about-the axis 'of the clutch. They are also injftheir entirety arranged" along spiral. c'ircumferential lines, 'If,'theref ore', the rotatingfmember rotates in a direction in which- 'thisfspiral'line would unscrew itself from the companionmember, 1f 1l1 W6IB EL screw thread, theball carrying member will recede fQI, vaxial movement to bring the balls radially af minute-distance away from the companion member. Bu'tif the ball carrying member. is

jrotated relatively to ,theother member, so that'jjowing to the spiralfarrangement ofthe' .ntiretyprbnm, the latter rotate in the direction 1 of as'crevvv 'whichj is fastened, the balls willlb'e clampedagainst the companion member andfthe two'z members will "then rotate; together. Of course, the same effect also can beproduced by positively rotating that meme ber'which does-notcarry the balls relatively to; the ball" carrying member, in ,suchmanner that the spiraliseries of balls is screwedinto or out of said member. V s W he modified form of "The10peration of t igs' tand 5 .is the same in all-substantial et s: as previously described herein. contemplate asbeing included inthese improvements alljsuch changes, variations and departuresfrom what is thus specifically illustrated and, described as fall within the scopeof thejappended claims. :1 i

rotary; of the character ole;

.segibeeljg ompjri sing driving member, a.

g 2 je-1 V tween the facing surfaces 10 and ofthe outer and innermembers I providea cage 31,- in conical form and corresponding in shape to the surfaces lO- and] 30, this cage "beinglifnited movement ,SQl elyIthereon driven member, one thereof including an ele' ment having a wall. defining a ,conicallyshaped recess on the axis of the device, a

coni'cally-shaped body carried by the other one of said members on'the axis ofthe device and being in substantially close association with the wall defining said recess, one of said members having spirally-arranged seat ele-I ments,balls in sa d seat'elements, and means for maintaining said balls and said Wall in close-fittin relation to each other.

2; The evice, of c1aim-1 hereof in which said last-mentioned means are adapted to maintain the balls-and said Wall yieldingly in close-fitting relation to-eachother;

'rYId QhZ- f the character scribed, a comically-recessed outer member, an

c'es's in substantially -'interfitting relation therewith, one'of ,saidjmembers having a inner member conforming substantially to Y V the shapeof said recess and beingin said re spiral grooveffacing' the? eonicar surface of J the other member,and ballsflcon ained-for.

said groove ,andfin driving .r iatim'ftdfthe opposed surface of the'other member, i', I j

4:. The device of- Claim'3 hereof which there "are also means for, yieldingly forcing said members toward each other tjo'mainjtain said'balls against the coacting surface of said other member. I W

I The device bf' claim is hereoffliri whieh the inner memberhas said spiral grooveiwherein t i n the balls are seated whileconstrained t Q'li'I IZI- ited circumferential movement onlyf 6; A, rotary clutch of the character described comprising an outer member having an inner wall defining a, conical surface on the {axis of the device, an inner member; mounted to rotate within and relative to the" outer member on the axis of the device and having a conical surface facing the conical surface of the outer member, said comcalsiun;

faces being opposed v,to each other and being: correspondinglyshaped, one ofjsaid members having a spirally-arrangedrecess i ngitsconi-I c cal surface for balls, balls in saidrecess and; o in closezproximity to the opposed conicalsurJ face of the other member, :with means hold-j ing saidmembers against material longitudinal displacement-relative to each other, and I means for yieldingly maintaining said balls in close contact with the opposed conical surface ofthe other member; j

members. r

- 8411 a grip ing dem,- twat-1;,

ber having a l plurality of balls .in conically;

7.. The device 0f claim Ghereof which said balls are inacage-carried by one of said:

her to be driven by the binding action of the balls thereon.

9. In a one-way clutch the combination of, an outer member and an inner member, each having a comically-shaped surface, one of said members being male and the other female and said members substantially inter fitting with each other at said surfaces, a plurality of balls in conical helix arrangement carried by one of said members and held against a substantial amount of travel thereon, While contacting the other one of said members on its said conically-shaped surface.

WALTER CHARLES PITTER. 

